Marinette had finally made up her mind to search for the motel where she had once stayed with Chat Noir...but it was easier said than done!
She glanced down at the map she had pulled up on her phone, then back at the street sign she was currently standing under. She had definitely passed this very sign not even a few minutes ago...so how had she ended up in this exact same corner again?
She sighed in frustration. Her feet were aching after running around in circles the entire afternoon. It was already getting late, and she still had school tomorrow. Maybe she should just give up and go home after all…
"This is getting ridiculous!" Marinette complained to herself, then she snorted when she realized something. She was starting to sound like Chloe, and the last thing she wanted was to be compared to the mayor's daughter.
She was determined to find Mr. Fu. This wasn't the time to be giving up!
With her resolve renewed, she studied the map carefully again. But she couldn't have been mistaken. It clearly showed that Motel L'Akuma should be just around this corner…
Footsteps suddenly sounded behind her, making her shiver. She spun around, just in time to notice an older, ragged man following her, his body swaying drunkenly as he did so. Every hair in her body screamed at her to run.
"Are you lost, lady?" the man slurred, stumbling over his own two feet as he tried to approach her. He was definitely drunk. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol that reeked from his body.
"No, I'm fine!" she squeaked, then quickened her pace to shake him off. She thanked the gods that he was too drunk to try anything, but she didn't relax until she made sure she had put a good distance between her and the suspicious man. Why was she always getting into trouble with weird guys?
Come on, come on...she thought desperately, once again turning back to her search for the peculiar motel. It had to be here! "Mr. Fu...where are you?" she mumbled. Great, now she was talking to herself, too. She really was going to go mad if she didn't find this troublesome motel soon...
She had never felt so relieved when she finally spotted the motel's conspicuous logo looming in front of her. How could she have missed its bright, neon-colored sign? She shook her head in confusion before she ran the remaining distance into the lobby, not stopping until she was safely inside. She bent over to catch her breath.
"I didn't think I'd see you again, Miss Marinette," Mr. Fu's voice, laced with surprise, greeted her from where he sat behind the receptionist's desk.
"Mr. Fu," she gasped in relief once her breathing finally returned to normal, "I finally found you!"
"You were looking for me?" The kind, old man's eyes sparkled as his gaze fell upon her, as though he knew exactly why she was there.
Marinette wasn't in the mood for him to beat around the bush after she'd spent so much time searching for him, so she decided to go straight for the point. "Yes, I was. I was thinking...You're friends with Chat Noir, aren't you?" she asked.
"Oh? Why would you say that?" he asked, still smiling that mysterious, knowing smile.
"You passed along a message from him to me before," she reminded Mr. Fu, raising her right index finger to keep track of her reasons. "And...that night when we first met, you asked me if I was there with him. You were referring to Chat Noir then, weren't you?"
Master Fu's smile broadened as she provided him with her evidence. "I knew you were smart, Miss Marinette! You could say that, but at the same time...we're not exactly friends."
Marinette tipped her head to one side, furrowing her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Knowing that he probably won't tell you this himself, I'll tell you something even more interesting in exchange for figuring out this much all on your own. You see...I'm the one who made him Chat Noir," he revealed, his unexpected words making her heart skip a beat.
"Y-You were?" she exclaimed, her eyes stretching wide in surprise. This was something Marinette would have never imagined - the kindhearted old man definitely didn't seem like the type who was a thief, or who would make Chat Noir a thief. Then again, one couldn't really judge someone based on appearances, she reminded herself dryly. This was definitely something she had a lot of experience with lately.
Mr. Fu stroked his short, grey beard with a solemn expression as he recalled the past. "Chat Noir wished for a way to escape from his everyday life. He felt trapped. And so, I offered him the opportunity to have a taste of freedom in exchange for his help with something. I'm too old to be stealing anything for myself, you know?" Mr. Fu laughed lightheartedly, as though they were discussing mundane, everyday topics like the weather instead of the illicit art of thievery.
"What is he helping you out with?" Marinette asked. She leaned forward eagerly, completely engrossed by his story. It had always been her dream to get to know more about the thief, and she was grateful to finally have the opportunity to discover what kind of person he was like before they had met. The trials she had gone through on her way to the motel were nothing compared to everything she was learning from Mr. Fu now. It had definitely been worth coming here after all.
"It's a secret," Mr. Fu said with a wink. As her shoulders slumped in disappointment, he added bemusedly, "I suppose I can tell you a little more. He's helping me look for, ah, a certain artifact - or rather, artifacts, that I lost a long time ago."
Chat Noir...so he hadn't stolen anything for himself, after all. Instead, everything he had done was to help Mr. Fu. She smiled fondly as she imagined him in her mind. She knew he was a good person, and it turned out she had been right. There was absolutely no way that he would be a killer.
"But I take it you didn't come all this way just to ask about his backstory?" Mr. Fu prompted, gesturing for her to speak with a wave of his hand.
Marinette mentally prepared herself to ask her request."You're right, I didn't. I came to ask for your help."
"My help, you say?" Mr. Fu repeated, his eyes sparkling with interest.
"Yes. Chat Noir...he's in danger, and it's all my fault. And I...I want to help him, but I have no idea where to start." She clenched her hand into a fist, feeling frustrated by her helplessness. "The police think that he killed Copycat, but I know he's innocent. Isn't there anything we can do to prove them wrong?" She looked at Mr. Fu pleadingly, hoping that he would have an answer.
"I can see that your heart is set on helping him," Mr. Fu stated thoughtfully. "I'd like to help him too, you know. But he's a stubborn one, that Chat Noir. I take it he's warned you not to get involved?"
Marinette inclined her head glumly.
After silently debating the best course of action for a few moments, Mr. Fu turned and fixed his gaze on her, his brown eyes serious. "It will be very dangerous for you to get involved. Are you still willing to help him, despite knowing this?"
"I know it'll be dangerous, but I'll do anything to prove his innocence!" Marinette declared, her eyes filled with determination. She'd already made up her mind to help him, no matter what the cost. She owed him that much, at least, for all the times he had protected her.
"He's lucky to have someone like you by his side," the mysterious receptionist murmured softly, his lips curling upward into a smile. "Very well. I'm still trying to think of a plan myself, but it would help me tremendously if you could gather some intel for me."
"What kind of intel?" Marinette wondered, blinking curiously at him.
"Anything that would help in our investigation," Mr. Fu explained patiently. "For example, if you hear anything regarding Copycat's employer, or their reason for killing him..."
"Got it," Marinette agreed, making a mental note to keep track of the information Mr. Fu asked her to help find.
"And as you know, a bar is a valuable source of information, especially for a case like this," he went on. "And I happen to know of one that criminals love to frequent. It's called L'Akuma, which is not affiliated with my motel in any way," he added bemusedly when Marinette's eyes widened in surprise. The reason he'd chosen that particular name for his motel was to spite Hawk Moth. But that wasn't something Marinette needed to know, at least not yet.
"L'Akuma, right?" she confirmed, shifting her foot nervously. She had never set foot in a bar before, and the thought of going to one was a little daunting. But this was for Chat Noir, she reminded herself. She could do anything if it would help her thief. "Alright. I'll go and see if I can find any information for you."
"That would be excellent! Oh, and I'm sure that you know not to reveal your identity in a place swarming with criminals, right? I'd recommend for you to go with a disguise," he added with a wink.
Marinette's mind whirled as she began to formulate a plan in her mind. Now, disguising was something she could do. She had to admit that it was rather exciting to imagine her going on an important mission wearing an outfit she had designed herself. It was time to put her skills to the test...
"Of course! I'll think of something. Don't worry about me," she reassured him with a small smile.
"Great!" Mr. Fu clapped his hands in anticipation before continuing, "By the way, the bar is usually bustling with activity on weekends, so I would go next Friday or Saturday. Oh, and before I forget, here's the address."
He quickly jotted down the bar's name and address on a brightly colored post-it note before he passed it to her. "Take care on your way back, alright?" he implored, signaling the end of their conversation.
"I will. Bye, Mr. Fu. And thank you for your help, I won't let you down!" She grinned at him, then turned and hurried out of the motel without glancing back.
Master. Fu watched her go until she disappeared from his line of sight, his normally friendly eyes darkening. Only once he made sure that she was no longer within earshot did he mutter to himself, "I only hope that Chat Noir won't kill me for meddling..."
The following day was a school day, but school was the last thing on Marinette's mind. She had an important task she had to do that upcoming weekend, but she still had no idea what kind of disguise she would design. But one thing she did know was that she couldn't let Mr. Fu down.
Hmm...speaking of designs...
She had been working on a gorgeous, ladybug-patterned gown for her entry for Adrien's design contest. It had been a while since she had last worked on it, but what if she borrowed that design and modified it to conceal her identity? She could create an outfit similar to Chat Noir's sleek, black suit but incorporate a red and black pattern to it. A ladybug suit would not only be the perfect design, but would allow her to move around easily in it, too. Not to mention that it would look cute.
Chat Noir...black cats were known as the bringers of bad luck and misfortune. She would become a ladybug, a symbol of good luck, to bring him good fortune for a change. He definitely deserved it after all the hardship and struggles he'd been through.
She smiled in satisfaction as she made up her mind.
"Good morning, Marinette!"
Marinette lifted her head in time to see a certain artist hesitantly walk toward her.
She remembered with a jolt that the last time she had spoken to Nathaniel had been the night of their date the previous week. There had been so many crazy things that had happened since then, so much that she hadn't had a chance to really mull over her feelings for her shy classmate. But she knew she should probably set things straight with him.
"Oh, hi, Nathaniel! And I'm...er, sorry for ruining our date," she apologized sheepishly. She wasn't sure how to broach the subject to him, so she tried to make everything that had transpired that night as vague as possible.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding puzzled. "Our date was fantastic! Hey, do you want to go on another one sometime?" He added with a hopeful expression.
"I'm sorry?" she asked. It was now her turn to feel confused. "Didn't we get attacked..." she trailed off with a frown.
The way Nathaniel had been acting just now...it was as though he had completely forgotten about their fight with Evillustrator, and his encounter with Chat Noir. Well, she wasn't going to push the subject if he had forgotten. It was better this way - and this meant that he hadn't reported the incident to the police, after all.
It would be for the best if she didn't press the issue with him. "You know what, never mind. But I'm sorry, Nathaniel. I...I actually have someone else that I like, so I can't go out with you anymore," she mumbled, unable to meet his eyes. It was only fair to Nathaniel that she reveal the truth to him before things went out of hand, but she still felt extremely guilty for turning him down when he had risked his own safety to protect her. He may have forgotten, but she would always remember for him. It was the least she could do for him, after he had bravely stood up for her that night.
"Oh," he said, his eyes flickering with disappointment. He looked as though he was about to say something else, but after a few moments of awkward silence, he shrugged in defeat. "Well...I hope things work out for you, Marinette." With those final words, he headed back to his desk without so much as another glance at her.
Marinette's heart ached. She could only hope that one day, they would be able to become friends again. She heaved a sigh as she watched him return to his desk, where he started conversing with his friend Marc as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Good for you, girl!" Alya remarked suddenly from next to Marinette, making the bluenette jump in surprise. She had been so focused on Nathaniel that she hadn't heard her best friend approach.
"You scared me, Alya!" she pouted, glaring at her. But she couldn't stay angry at her for long. "Er...so you heard us, huh?"
Alya smirked at her. "Of course I did. So, is this guy who you have a crush on Adrien?" she teased, draping an arm around Marinette's shoulders in a friendly manner as they sat down at their own desks.
"Uh-huh," Marinette mumbled, not denying it but not confirming it, either. She wondered if she could ask Alya whether it was normal to have a crush on two guys at the same time. She was so tempted to ask, but then thought better of it. Knowing her friend, she would definitely ask a lot of questions if Marinette brought the topic up. "Anyway, did you hear about Chat Noir being Copycat's killer?" she pressed, changing the subject. She was dying to know what her friend thought about the case.
"I did! I was surprised to hear that! I mean, he's always been popular with girls, and he's never killed anyone before, so it's a surprise that he would actually...kill someone." Alya murmured thoughtfully.
"I know right?" Marinette agreed, feeling relieved that her friend shared the same thoughts as her on Chat Noir. "But what if...someone set him up?"
"You think so? Would anyone hate him enough to frame him?" Alya wondered.
Marinette realized that Alya did have a point. Someone must really hate Chat Noir for them to have framed him for something as awful as a murder. "You do have a point...What if there was someone who's out to defeat him? Let's say that they...wanted to take the number one spot, and Chat Noir was in their way?" She thought out loud.
Her stomach churned as realization dawned on her. There was one person who had their sights on him. Someone who didn't bat an eye to doing cruel things, like kidnapping her, just to get to him.
Someone like...Hawk Moth.
Alya exchanged a glance with Marinette, curiosity brimming in her eyes. "You've been thinking an awful lot about this, girl. You're pretty interested in Chat Noir, eh?"
"N-Not at all!" Marinette denied quickly, waving her hands in front of her in protest. But she couldn't stop a faint blush from creeping onto her cheeks. "I just...I hate when someone is blamed for a crime that they didn't commit. It's not fair."
Alya hummed thoughtfully as she considered Marinette's point. "Why don't you ask Sabrina for help?" she suggested suddenly.
"Sabrina?" Marinette asked.
"Yes. Her father is a policeman, right? I heard he's been on the Chat Noir case. Maybe he would know something."
Marinette beamed at Alya, then leapt on her friend and wrapped her tightly in a hug. "Oh, that would be great! Thank you, thank you, Alya!"
Throughout that day, Marinette wished that her classes would go by faster so she could speak to Sabrina after school...
"Hi, Sabrina!" Marinette began nervously as she walked up to the short-haired girl after school.
Sabrina frowned suspiciously as the other girl approached her. "Marinette...What do you want? Are you here to copy my homework, too? You're just like Chloe, aren't you?"
"No!" Marinette threw her hands up in frustration. Why was everyone comparing her to Chloe? "I...I just wanted to talk. Do you have a second?"
"I'm meeting Chloe in a bit so she can show me the new blouse that her dad got her. She said I could wear it if I did the alumni project interview for her," Sabrina said dreamily, ignoring the odd looks the designer was shooting her. "But I suppose I do have some time before then. What do you want?"
Marinette hesitated. She hadn't really planned beforehand how she would bring the subject of a certain thief up to Sabrina without sounding too suspicious. But she would just have to go along with it and hope for the best. "Er...how's your dad doing?"
"Why are you asking about my dad?" She questioned, her eyes narrowing. Of course she would be suspicious, Marinette thought with an inward groan.
"You know...with the whole Chat Noir thing," Marinette explained. "He's working on the case, isn't he?"
Sabrina pushed her wide-framed glasses up her nose. "Oh, if that's what you're asking about...The case is going great! Papa is confident that they will catch Chat Noir soon."
Those words sent a shiver down Marinette's spine. "Do they have evidence that he's the culprit?" she couldn't help asking.
"Not yet, but they're working with a famous detective, Felix. You might've heard of him. I'm sure they'll get the evidence they need!" Sabrina crowed, puffing out her chest proudly. Her classmate really was supportive of her father, Marinette thought, just like how passionate she was when it came to supporting her family's bakery. She couldn't bring herself to dislike Sabrina or her father, despite him being a policeman out to capture Chat Noir.
Marinette had heard about Felix on the news before. Apparently he was Adrien's cousin, a famous detective known for his good looks. (What was with the Agreste family and their striking good looks? Marinette couldn't help thinking to herself with a roll of her eyes.) He was so skilled that no culprit had ever escaped from his grasp.
To think that someone as talented as him would be on Chat Noir's case...this was going to be tougher than she had hoped. She wondered how she could warn Chat Noir about Felix.
Just then, Sabrina's phone buzzed, making her gasp. She quickly checked the message before turning back to Marinette. "Oh wow! My papa just said that Chat Noir sent a notice to the police that revealed that he'll be stealing a painting from the Louvre! The Louvre!" She repeated the name of the famous museum, stressing just how insane it was for the thief to choose such a heavily guarded museum.
Marinette's eyes widened. Chat Noir...he was still stealing something even though he'd just been framed for a crime. What was he thinking? How reckless could he be?
Then again, he'd personally revealed to her that he already had a plan, she reminded herself. She knew she should believe in him. Perhaps he was doing this to send a message to Hawk Moth, to tell him that no matter what the villain tried, he would never be able to stop him.
But Marinette couldn't shake off the feeling in the pit in her stomach that something bad was going to happen. She had to warn Chat Noir about Felix.
She gratefully grabbed Sabrina's hands and held them in her own. "Thank you for your help, Sabrina! Oh, look at the time! I'm supposed to be...er...feeding my cat right now. I'm just going to go now! Yeah, bye!" she laughed nervously, then edged her way towards the door. She waved to Sabrina, then darted out of the room before the other girl could question her odd behavior.
"But I...I didn't even do anything?" Sabrina called after Marinette, but it was no use.
The girl was already gone.
A/N: Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews and support, I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter! There will be more Marichat moments in the upcoming chapters, so please look forward to them~ XD (I always love adding references from the ML episodes, hehe. I hope you like them too!)
Happy belated birthday to my guest reviewer! Thank you for following and always reviewing the story! :)
Ohoho, the plot is thickening! Leave a review and let me know what you think? :)
Next chapter preview - Marinette goes to the Louvre to give Chat Noir a message about Felix, but things don't go exactly as planned...